Our approach for a just transition to a low-carbon, climate resilient future

Ecorys has pioneered the approach to supporting coal and carbon intensive regions in the just transition process which centres around dialogue and community building.

Our mission

We assist policymakers, public administrations, and other private and civil society actors from different governance levels (national, regional and local) in embracing energy transition as an opportunity for a just, low carbon and climate resilient future. We help our clients and beneficiaries to mitigate negative aspects and maximise opportunities of their transition journey.

Our approach and proposition

We have pioneered the approach to supporting coal and carbon intensive regions in the just transition process which centres around dialogue and community building and leads to creation of policies and plans with high levels of legitimacy and buy-in. We help stakeholders connect, providing a space for learning, sharing of experiences, networking, and collaboration. This approach has been tested in various localities: urban, rural and island territories; mono-industrial and diversified economies; EU and global (see our project track record).

Our services

We support and facilitate the transition in a hands-on manner, working closely with the regions, policymakers, and practitioners to identify solutions to their problems in an integrated manner and provide a complementary range of tailored services and tools that help them to move forward in their just transition journey to a low carbon economy. Our services include:

• Secretariat set-up and management – we provide overall coordination of multi-country just transition platforms/initiatives bringing together different supporting services and tools under one umbrella and providing liaison to other initiatives.
• Technical assistance – we deliver tailored support to help regions overcome shortcomings in local knowledge and capacities in areas such as: strategy development, governance, stakeholder consultation and engagement, community cohesion and resilience, and project identification and assessment.
• Knowledge management – we collate and develop tailored, well-researched and easily accessible knowledge products (e.g., case studies, toolkits) that play an essential role in facilitating knowledge uptake in the regions undergoing the transition.
• Thematic working groups – we manage working groups which bring together stakeholders to develop a common vision of the just transition, collect and share knowledge and good practices, and find practical solutions and tools to tackle challenges and mitigate the adverse effects of the transition process.
• Exchanges – we organise hands-on learning opportunities in a form of exchanges between actors engaged in just transition process in various regions. These exchanges allow stakeholders to learn from their peers’ experiences and reflect about their own challenges and opportunities brought by energy transition.
• Communication – we manage effective communication activities to ensure stakeholders are informed about and eager to engage in the transition process. The goal is to help generate momentum and build support and understanding amongst stakeholders in the just transition process.
• Events – through the organisation of both large-scale events and smaller-scale interactive workshops, we provide a forum for sharing views and experiences among communities ensuring their robust and inclusive engagement, awareness and buy-in to just transition across stakeholder groups.

Project track record

• Secretariat of the Just Transition Platform, DG REGIO, European Commission
• Secretariat of the EU Coal Regions in Transition Initiative, DG ENER, European Commission
• Secretariat of the Initiative for coal regions in transition in the Western Balkans and Ukraine, DG ENER, European Commission
• Technical Advisory Services to support the Implementation of the Just Coal Transition Platform Southeast Asia, UNOPS
• Knowledge packs for Learning Academy for Coal Regions, World Bank
• Just Transition Taxonomy, World Bank

Questions? Please reach out to Marta Kulesza (Marta.Kulesza@ecorys.com), Carlo della Libera (Carlo.DellaLibera@ecorys.com), or Elodie Salle (Elodie.Salle@ecorys.com).